Critical Thinking Activities & Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs)

*1.

Title of Critical Thinking Activity/RLO:

Your Answer: Ocean
Pollution - What do scientists need to know?

*2.

Briefly describe or summarize the
Activity/RLO:

Your Answer: Out of
class: Have students watch videos on ocean pollution and investigate associated
materials such as links to non-point pollution, biomagnification and noise
pollution. In class: discussion of a current pollution problem from the news
and what factors scientist may need to know to address points made in video and
associated materials. Discuss how scientists would go about obtaining this
information.

*3.

Subject Area(s) - Select all that apply:

Your Answer: Natural
Science

*4.

What is(are) the Major Learning Outcome(s) addressed by
this Activity/RLO (from course outline)?

Your Answer: The student
will assess human impact on the marine environment and its inhabitants.

*5.

What is(are) the Course Objective(s) addressed by
this Activity/RLO (stated in performance terms)?

Your Answer:
a.reviewing the balance in marine communities in general and discussing the
preservation and maintenance of a healthy coral reef (eg. Florida Keys) in
conjunction with use, growth, construction and shipping. b.describing the
impact of commercial fisheries, mariculture and marine pollution on the
ecological balances in the marine environment both locally and globally.
c.analyzing existing or designing new experiments to be performed locally to
scientifically assess the effects of change (such as dredging, mangrove
cutting, turbidity, sea wall location, eutrophication) on local marine
communities.

*6.

Type of Activity/RLO - Select all that apply:

Your Answer:
Individual, Large Group

*7.

Time - How much time does it take to conduct this
Activity/RLO?

Your Answer: Portion
of One Class

*8.

List the materials that are necessary to conduct this
Activity/RLO:

Your Answer: Link to
RLO Access to newspapers or TV for current events

*9.

Instructions - Give detailed step-by-step instructions on
how to conduct this Activity/RLO:

Your Answer: Watch
videos at home, follow links and read associated materials, discuss those in
class. Discuss current even related to pollution in class and ask questions
linking that to previous information. Apply this thought process and
question-asking to discuss a paper of their choosing as the intervention
assignment.

*11.

SPC established as its definition
of critical thinking: The active and systemic process of communication, problem
solving, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and reflection, both individually and
in community, to foster understanding, support sound decision-making, and guide
action.

Which aspect(s) of critical
thinking does this Activity/RLO address? - Select all that apply:

*12.

How will this improve our students’ ability to think
critically?

Your Answer:
Students will need to assess the effects of different factors involved in
pollution and make a connection to current events. They will learn to identify
the kinds of questions scientists need to ask to assess a multi-factor problem.
Students will with ways scientists could answer these questions.